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Friday, December 12, 2014

Vatican City, 12 December 2014 (VIS) –
“Through you, I greet your communities throughout the world, and
express my encouragement in particular to those in Iraq and Syria,
who are living through a time of great suffering and fear in the face
of violence”, said the Pope this morning, as he received His
Beatitude Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch and all
the East of the Syrians, accompanied by the bishops and faithful of
the Syriac-Catholic community.

The Holy Father, who expressed his
solidarity and compassion for this community, assuring them of his
prayers, reiterated that the difficult situation in the Middle East
continues to cause an exodus of the faithful of this Church to the
Eparchies of the diaspora, and creates new pastoral needs. “It is a
challenge”, he said; “on the one hand, of remaining faithful to
origins, and on the other, of entering different cultural contexts,
working in the service of the 'salus animarum' and the common good”.

“This movement of the faithful
towards countries that are considered safer empoverishes the
Christian presence in the Middle East, the land of the prophets, the
first preachers of the Gospel, the martyrs and many saints, the
cradle of the hermits and monasticism. All this requires you to
reflect on the situation of your Eparchies, which need zealous
Pastors as well as courageous faithful, capable of bearing witness to
the Gospel in the dialogue, at times not easy, with people of
different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Many have fled from the
inhumanity that throws entire populations onto the streets, leaving
them without means of subsistence”.

The Pope invited the bishops to
coordinate their efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs, both
of those who stay at home and those who flee to other countries, and
in this regard he recalled that during their meeting in Rome the
Syriac Church had asked to be able to hold a Synod outside the
patriarchal territory. This request was accepted immediately in order
to facilitate the meeting, intended to acknowledge the pressing needs
of the Church and to respond to the spiritual expectations of the
faithful. In particular, the Syriac Church has undertaken the process
of reform of the Divine Liturgy, in the service of the Word of God,
which should allow new devotional zeal. This has required “intense
examination of the Tradition and great discernment, knowing how
sensitive the assembly of the faithful is to the great gift of the
Word and the Eucharist”.

“Now, as you return home, you are
refreshed by this experience of communion at the tombs of the
apostles Peter and Paul; a communion that finds particular expression
here today, as we raise to the Lord along with the Successor of Peter
a prayer of gratitude and supplication”. He concluded, “Dear
brothers, I exhort you to continue your pastoral efforts and your
ministry of hope in the service of the venerable Syriac-Catholic
Church. I greet with affection the faithful who accompany you, in
whom I see the different communities you represent. I invite you to
transmit to all the expression of my closeness and my prayer to the
Lord”.

Vatican City, 12 December 2014 (VIS) –
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, on behalf of the Holy
Father, has sent a message to the participants in the 14th World
Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, to be held in Rome from 12 to 14
December 2014. The message will be read by Cardinal Peter Kodwo
Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council “Justice and
Peace”, and the full text is published below:

“His Holiness Pope Francis was
pleased to be informed that the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace
Laureates will take place in Rome from 12 to 14 December 2014, and he
sends cordial greetings to all gathered for this occasion. 'In the
heart of every man and woman is the desire for a full life, including
that irrepressible longing for fraternity which draws us to
fellowship with others and enables us to see them not as enemies or
rivals but as brothers and sisters to be accepted and embraced'
(Message for the 2014 World Day of Peace). His Holiness is deeply
grateful for the commitment of the Summit participants to promoting
peace and fraternity among peoples, and for their efforts in finding
solutions to the conflicts of our day. As this meeting honours the
memory of Nelson Mandela, whose legacy of non-violence and
reconciliation continues to inspire the world, Pope Francis prays
that all present may be renewed and encouraged in their urgent work,
and that their labours may bear an abundant harvest of peace for the
world. With the assurance of his prayers for their deliberations, His
Holiness willingly invokes divine blessings upon all gathered for the
Summit meeting”.

Vatican City, 12 December 2014 (VIS) –
The seventh meeting of the Council of Cardinals (the so-called C9)
concluded yesterday evening. The cardinals' three-day meeting, which
began on the morning of 9 December, was mostly dedicated to three
themes: the reform of the Curia, the composition of the Commission
for the Protection of Minors and the reorganisation of the economic
organs of the Holy See. As usual, Pope Francis participated in all
meetings aside from the Wednesday morning session, due to his weekly
general audience.

With regard to reform of the Roman
Curia, alongside general observations on the criteria that must guide
this task, the Cardinals also addressed the specific question of the
reorganisation of the Pontifical Councils that work in relation to
the laity, the family, justice, peace and charity. However, no formal
decision was reached; the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr.
Federico Lombardi, S.J., remarked that reform will a long and gradual
process.

The Commission for the Protection of
Minors, which currently has eight members and a secretary, is to be
enlarged with the addition of representatives from various ecclesial
and cultural contexts around the world, reaching a total of around
eighteen members. The candidates have been selected and their
availability to participate is currently in the process of being
verified. From 6 to 8 February 2015 the Commission will hold its
plenary session and it is expected that all members will be confirmed
by that date, enabling it to define its field of action and
activities.

Professor Joseph Zahra, the lay deputy
coordinator of the Council for the Economy, reported to the Cardinals
on the matter of the reorganisation of the economic dicasteries.
Although no specific decisions were made, the importance of
continuing good coordination between the Council for the Economy and
the C9 was emphasised. It is hoped that another meeting of the
Council for the Economy will take place before the next C9 meeting,
to allow an overview of the reform process to be presented at the
latter event.

The next plenary session of the C9 will
be held from 9 to 11 February 2015, immediately before the Consistory
convoked on the 12 and 13 of the same month, at which its work and
proposals will be presented. Finally, it was announced yesterday that
a consistory for the creation of new cardinals will be held on 14 and
15 February.

- Fr. Adelio Pasqualotto, C.S.I., as
apostolic vicar of Napo (area 24,600, population 102,760, Catholics
85,226, priests 26, religious 65), Ecuador. The bishop-elect was born
in Novoledo di Villaverla, Italy in 1950, gave his solemn vows in
1973 and was ordained a priest in 1978. He has served in a number of
pastoral roles, including vice rector of the community at the St.
Pius X Colony at Santa Marinella, Rome; parish priest of the “Opera
Sacro Cuore” at Rossano, Cosenza, Italy and director of the local
community; parish priest in the Mexican parishes of “San Jorge
Martir” in Mexico City, “Santa Isabel de Hungria” in
Hermosillo, and “San Jose Obrero” in Aguacalientes; and
collaborator in the parishes of Archidona and Loreto in the apostolic
vicariate of Napo. He is currently pro-vicar of the apostolic
vicariate of San Miguel de Sucumbios.